The Russellville Democrat., 1887-03-30
Legislative Notes.

was defeated by large majority.
The offer Of the Memphis railroad
OF $500 for back taxes was deem
ed insufficient by the legislative
committee and the same was reject
ed.
A sound and sensible bill is the
one to prevent persons from taking
up state lands simply to cut off the
timber and then let the land fall
back to the State.
Representative Sibley favors the
exclusion of girls from the A. /. u.
and says that agricultural schools
have always been more SUCCESSFUL
when girls were excluded.
The joint Legislative committee an
pointed to investigate the stealing
of the railroad and insurance bills
OF last session, report, "after a te-
dious and annoying examination of
several persons" that the investiga-
tion is "fruitless in character and
barren in results"
The bill regulating passenger
fares on railroads has passed both
houses and will become a law. 1t
fixes maximum rates as follows: on
roads Is miles or less in length, s
cents; on roads over Is and less than
70 miles, 5 cents; and on roads over
rs miles, 3 cents.
1t has been charged that the Gov
ernor failed to file bis veto of the
butchers and bakers bill within
the prescribed time, and that the
bill was already law when he sent
his message to the senate. To make
sure of the matter, however, the SEN
ate deliberately passed the bill over
his objections.
Senator Crockett's Sunday law,
now In force, provides that no per-
son, who, from religious belief, keeps
another day in the week as Sabbath
shall be required to keep Sunday as
such. No business house can be
kept open, however, and no religious
congregation disturbed by such an
ones vocation or employment.
Owing to the passage of bill re
pealing the law authorizing mort
gagors to waive the right Of appraise-
ment and redemption, loan associa-
tions have retired from business IN
Arkansas. At the time the Cover
nor signed the act Shattuck d Hoff-
man Of New Orleans had in process
OF completion loans to the amount
of $4,000, which of course failed.
A law has passed requiring
mutual insurance companies doing
business in this State TO file q bond
for $4,000 with the auditor of State
conditioned for the faithful payment
of all legal demands against them.
The Knights of Honor, knights of
Pythias, Royal Arcadium, Catholic
Knights Of America, Masonic Relief
Association, and all other societies
meeting in lodges and dong busl-
ness through agencies, are exempt
from the provisions of the law.
BY unanimous vote, the Senate
passed the bill prepared by the Sen
ate and House JOINT committee pro-
viding for settling the Indebtedness
OF the State. 1t constitutes the
Governor, Secretary of State and
Treasurer board to carry out its
purposes, and provides for the pur-
chase, by bids, of undisputed bonds
with the sinking fund whenever the
sum of $4,000 or more shall have
accumulated. 1t also provides fol
exchanging State certificates of IN
debtedness for outstanding undispu.
ted bonds and matured coupons in
sums less than $4,000, which Ger
tifcates shall be receivable for the
sinking fund tax, for the purchase
money of lands forfeited to the State
for the non payment of taxes, and
for liquor licenses. A tax of one
mill upon all the taxable values oil
the State will be levied until the in.
debtedness aforesaid is liquidated
Last Friday Mr. Clement of Yell
county called up the motion to re-
consider the vote by which house
bill to regulate steam ferries, gen
eral law, but applicable to the ferry
at Dardanelle.
Mr.. Sibley spoke at length in ia
vor of reconsideration He bad new
er heard Of any complaint about this